To Be All That Remains, Bount Arc
by Snowlily246
Summary: After returning from the Soul Society with her brother and friends, Rosalie is looking forward to having some time to relax as well as come to terms with life shaking encounters. But soon after coming home, reports of people with their souls sucked out appear along with a new threat. Bounts. Their similarities to her own people leave Rosalie wondering . . . is there a connection?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! Here is the first chapter of Rosalie's adventures during the Bount Arc of Bleach. Please alert me to any errors you notice I will get on it right away!  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. I own only my OC Rosalie, her monkey Hiko, and the whole Beast Tamer thing.**

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Chapter 1

Everyone sat quietly in the back room of Urahara's shop, the ticking of a nearby clock was louder than even the steady breaths of her comrades to Rosalie's ears. Hiko sat in her lap, brown eyes locked onto her face.

She and Ichigo had changed back into humans, with Ichigo slipping into his body and Rosalie shifting back into her human form. Rosalie was the only one among her classmates not wearing the school uniform due to the "kidnapping". She was dressed in gray shorts and a long sleeved, navy blue colored shirt with black demi wedge sandals and ankle strap. Her choker with its ribbon bow was blue.

"A Bount," Urahara finally said. The way he said it made it sound like a swearword. Apparently her godfather was not happy about this in the least – which could only mean trouble.

"I don't get it," Uryu said. "A Bount?"

"This reishi probably came from a Bount," Urahara clarified.

"That's good," Ichigo said. "So what the hell is a Bount?"

There was a pause before Urahara answered.

"It was quite a while ago, back when I was in the Department of Research and Development," Urahara said. "I encountered some residue that looked a lot like this. It's a mysterious reishi that reacts with certain components in a human soul. Upon further investigation I traced it to a tribe called the Bount."

"A tribe?" Uryu asked.

"I use that term for lack of a better word since the Bounts are small in number. They're like the Quincy in that they're humans with special powers – and they have similarities with the Beast Tamers as well."

That got Rosalie's attention. She leaned forward to where she could sense her godfather.

"How so?" She asked, very curious.

"Before I get to that - Rosalie has probably explained how Beast Tamers possess blood memories, right?" Urahara said – her friends nodded.

"Blood memories?" Renji demanded.

"What's that?" Ririn said.

"When a Beast Tamer awakens their power they gain access to blood memories," Rosalie explained. "Well, the Beast Spirit does anyway. It's basically general information on Beast Tamer history, like how we came to be, and important events that had a fundamental impact on us." Rosalie explained. "It makes it so we never forget who we are, and where we came from."

"The reason I mentioned this is that I'm sure if you have your Beast Spirit look through those recollections you'll find that one of the Beast Tamers tribes came into contact with Bounts," Urahara said. "Which, by the way I would appreciate you doing. Any information is valuable."

The girl nodded. "I'll have Takehiko see what he can dig up. How did you know, though?"

"The Bounts came up in a conversation when your mother was present a few years back. She mentioned that her people had come into contact with them." Urahara said.

 _'Why do I have the feeling that's he's leaving something out?'_

Oh well. Rosalie would confront him about it later. Maybe Urahara just didn't want to say it in front of everyone else.

"Do they have blood memories too?" Ichigo asked.

"No," Urahara admitted. "But according to Mara, Bounts are able to use creatures they call Dolls – which is the equivalent to a Soul Reaper's zanpakuto and a Beast Tamer's Beast Spirit respectively."

"That's disturbing," Uryu said. "It means we have no idea what they're capable of outside the usual abilities."

Yoruichi nodded. "Yes. That's why you should exercise extreme caution when coming into contact with one – if you ever do."

"They're also immortal," Urahara added. "While a Quincy is born human and dies human, a Bount becomes immortal due to the human souls they absorb for nourishment. Mara also said some can sustain their youth eternally."

"So they never die and stay young on top of that?" Ichigo said.

"Yep. Their immortality distinguishes them from every other living being. Over the years, they've also been known by another name – vampires."

"Ordinarily, the Bount's method of operation is to extract the soul of a human who has died while the Konso is being performed on it. However, that's not what I saw," Yoruichi said. "The Bount I saw was different. This one was attempting to absorb the soul of a living person."

"What about the person whose soul is sucked out? What happens then?" Ichigo asked.

"It's the same as when a life is taken," Urahara said. "Only death is left behind."

The teens stiffened at the bleak news. It only added urgency to the situation and made it all the more serious.

"We're not completely sure it's a Bount," Yoruichi admitted, and she turned to Urahara. "Do you think it might be some mutation or variant?"

"Well, you never can tell," Urahara said.

They both sighed and fell quiet.

Ichigo slammed his hand on the table.

"While you're sitting here thinking that thing is still out there!" He shouted. "Didn't you think that there might be more victims?!"

"Always get right to the point!" Urahara said joyfully. "Such a strong sense of justice!"

Then he got to his point and suddenly assigned Ririn to Ichigo, Kurodo to Orihime, and Noba to Chad. Urahara explained that the Mod Souls were all equipped with reishi sensors, designed to detect reishi waves. This would allow them to locate the Bounts in case the three didn't attract their attention as a possible meal. Uryu was in no so such danger due to the fact that he had no powers now.

"What about Rosalie?" Ichigo asked.

"Rosalie and you live in the same house – Ririn is enough. In any case the Sozo no Shushi will deter the Bounts from absorbing her soul."

"How so?" Renji asked.

"Rosalie's own spiritual energy acts as a filter and cleanses the Shushi's energy of its toxic properties toward non-Beast Tamers," Urhara explained. "However, if a Bount attempts to suck out her soul, you can bet they'll get a mouthful of raw Shushi energy which is basically the same as being poisoned. Unless they have a death wish, they'll cross her off as a possible meal once they sense the Shushi's energy in her spiritual pressure."

Rosalie blinked. "Did Mama tell you that?"

"No – anyone who's studied the Shushi and Bounts would know," Urahara said. Then he became serious and added. "Don't get me wrong – they may become interested in the Shushi as a possible weapon or the like, depending on what their plans are. You don't need to worry about becoming a meal, but all the same you have to be careful."

"I always am Uncle Kisuke," Rosalie assured him. "Don't worry."

 **x**

She wasn't very surprised when Yoruichi held her back and said that she needed to talk to the girl. Rosalie told Ichigo that her godmother would walk her home which pacified him and he left with everyone else.

After speaking with Urahara briefly, Yoruichi led Rosalie to the rooftops, with the later shifting into spirit form to avoid being seen as they free ran on top houses. The two eventually settled down on one and Rosalie, holding Hiko in her hands, calmly waited for the older woman to speak. Being blind, she focused on Yoruichi's breathing and the sound of her movements to discern whether the older woman was nervous about this. She also paid attention to any small fluctuations in Yoruichi's spiritual pressure caused by emotion.

Yoruichi didn't appear to be nervous, but she did seem cautious.

"There are things about your heritage that we haven't told you," Yoruichi said. "According to your mother, blood memories tend to be very general so Takehiko probably didn't realize it or didn't know how to tell you . . ."

"What?" Rosalie said, feeling nervous. "Takehiko, what is she talking about?"

Hiko was becoming visibly agitated as his Spirit voice answered. _**"It's not something bad, per say . . . but it will be an adjustment."**_

I'll cut to the chase," Yoruichi said. "When she met your father, Mara was already over a century old."

It was like a sledge hammer had hit her in the gut, and Rosalie was speechless for a moment before finally spitting out, "Uh?"

"When a Tamer Awakens their Beast," The former princess said. "They gain the ability to shift into a spiritual form – they change. This change brings with it several effects. One of them is longevity."

Rosalie was silent so Yoruichi continued.

"From the moment you Awakened your powers and Hiko's Inner Self, you gained the longevity of a Soul Reaper. From this point on, you'll age just like us."

"Oh," Rosalie said, shell-shocked. Her godmother placed a hand on her shoulder.

 _ **"There's more,"**_ Takehiko's voice muttered in her head. _**"You have only this one life – there's no dying and leaving behind a body because there is no body to leave behind. One life, one body. When you do die your soul will return to the Earth."**_

Rosalie had suspected that her soul wouldn't follow the normal cycle of most – after all, her people had been far from human and their origin was unique. The one life thing also made sense – the convenience of not having to worry about a physical body had to come with some consequences.

No, if she were honest with herself Rosalie knew it was the "longevity" that upset her. She thought about retaining the appearance of a young teenager for decades, maybe even a century while her friends and her family grew old and passed on.

Ichigo would no doubt become an official Soul Reaper when he died. Perhaps Chad and Orihime too, considering their powers. She couldn't be sure about Uryu given his current state but . . .

"Don't think about this now," Yoruichi interrupted her thoughts. "It's still a long way off and we have the current situation to think about."

Rosalie nodded hesitatingly. Hiko chirped at her from her lap, concerned.

Yoruichi sighed.

"I'll take you home. You need to sleep on this."

 **x**

Rosalie could not relax, not even with Hiko curled on her stomach as she laid aimlessly in bed. Many things were on her mind – like the fact that at some point, she may have to cut connections with her family. More specifically, the twins and Isshin. After all, they would notice how Rosalie's appearance wasn't maturing over the years . . .

Takehiko abruptly pulled her into their Inner World.

 _Rosalie blinked. She back into the Heart of her world – the jungle forest. Her Beast Spirit came up behind her and she sighed, wordlessly sinking back against his torso as he brought his arms up to wrap them around her._

 _ **"You fear separation from them,"** He said, without preamble._

 _"Can you blame me?" Rosalie asked. "It seems that everything I love eventually slips through my fingers – or ends up being better off without me."_

 _Takehiko's grip tightened. **"That is not true, and you know it."**_

 _"Knowing and feeling are two different things."_

 ** _"You won't lose the boy – or me."_**

 _Rosalie was stunned for a moment by his words. While she hadn't spoken of him much, Toshiro Hitsugaya was on her mind often, if she was truthful to herself. There wasn't a day he hadn't crossed her mind at least once. Rosalie did wonder how he was doing, if his childhood friend, Momo, had recovered – and finally, when she would see him again._

 _They were quiet for several moments._

 _"Have you gotten any information from my blood memories about the Bounts?" Rosalie asked._

 _Takehiko sighed. **"Not much – a tribe of Beast Tamers gave some Bounts shelter a few decades ago. By the time Soul Reapers found them they had already integrated with the community. As far as the recollections go, they were the lucky ones – the Tamers protected them. Since Soul Society was not keen on starting a conflict with the Bounts' protectors they left those few be."**_

 _"So besides the information on their . . . Dolls . . . there isn't any other relevant information?"_

 _ **"Well, apparently Bounts have a law forbidding them from eating souls of the living in the first place."** Takehiko admitted._

 _"Kisuke may find a use for what we do have. The fact that some of them are breaking their own law is interesting," Rosalie said. "We'll tell him later, meanwhile keep looking."_

 _"Very well."_

With that, Rosalie tried to let go of her worry and anxiety, instead focusing on the steady beat of Takehiko's heart. It helped her find her center again and after an hour, she left her Inner World, awakening to find Hiko still curled up on her stomach – and that she was still in spirit form.

Rosalie quickly shifted back and left Hiko to sleep in peace while she went over to Ichigo's room down the hall to see how things were going with Ririn.

When she entered Rosalie could tell that Ichigo was listening to music – she could just make out the music so he was likely using earbuds. Ririn was on the bed and in a new body. Ichigo turned off the music when he saw her and said hello.

"Hey," Rosalie leaned against the doorway. "How did it go with Ririn?"

"Ah, she kept rejecting all the toys I found but there was . . . an accident, and now she's in that bird plushy toy. The one with the hood." Ichigo said.

"I take it she wasn't happy about it?" Rosalie inquired, her lips twitching.

"Not in the least," The teen said dryly. "Took it out on Kon when he tried to make fun of her and now Ririn's just napping. Kon is still out."

"Hmm," Rosalie fell silent.

"So, what was it that Yoruichi needed to talk to you about?" Ichigo asked. "If it's personal I'll back off."

"It's not exactly personal," Rosalie said slowly. "It was just, a bit of a shock. A-apparently I'm not going to age normally anymore."

Concern was the first thing she felt in his spirit energy when he said. "You're not aging faster, right?"

"No – it's the opposite. Long story short my mom happened to be over 100 years old when she met my dad. Beast Tamers age like Soul Reapers once they Awaken their powers."

"Rosalie," Ichigo said.

"So," Rosalie added, not letting him finish. "There's going to be a problem when the neighbors and our family notice I'm not aging. I'll probably have to relocate."

"Rosalie!" Ichigo said again, this time louder. She shut her mouth and he got to his feet, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it now," He said. "It's still a bit ways off and it doesn't matter. We'll always be family."

"I'm not keen on watching Karin and Yuzu age into old women while I look like I could be one of their granddaughters," Rosalie said bitterly. "It hurts."

The hand Ichigo had on her shoulder tightened its grip.

"And what about everyone else?" Rosalie asked. "Granted, with their spirit energy the way it is now, chances are they'll become Soul Reapers when they die so it's not like I won't see them – or you. It's just – I can accept it, the long life thing. As time passed I just had a weird feeling about my body so this isn't entirely a surprise. It just hurts to think that I'll have to leave someday, and that Karin, Yuzu, and Isshin will be made to forget me."

"I can't say that everything is going to end up all sunshine and rainbows," Ichigo admitted. "But we will find a way around this!"

 _'Now that I think about it – this is . . . convenient, in regards to Toshiro,'_ Rosalie thought sardonically. _'We'll have lots of time to take it as slow as possible.'_

The thought had just suddenly occurred to her and she absently wondered how Toshiro would react. Then she realized Ichigo was waiting for an answer and snapped back to attention.

"I want to believe you," Rosalie said out loud. "About everything going to be okay – and maybe it will be. I'm just scared."

"And that's fine," Ichigo said. "We don't know how everything will turn out with the twins and Dad, but you can count on me sticking by you."

Rosalie smiled. "Thanks, Brother."

"Eh," He shrugged off. "That's what big brothers are for."

"They've come," Ririn said suddenly. The siblings turned to where she had sat up on Ichigo's bed.

"A Bount?" The teen asked.

Ririn nodded. "It's okay though. They're far away right now."

"I'll get Hiko," Rosalie said simply. It appeared that this would be a long night.

 **x**

Several minutes later, she and her brother were free running on the rooftops, with Ririn guiding them from her spot on Ichigo's shoulder.

She led them to an alley where a Bount was just starting to feed on a woman's soul.

Ichigo jumped into the mouth of the alleyway with Rosalie close behind him. He walked up to the stranger, and asked her what she thought she was doing. The Bount looked up at their approach, her eyes narrowed.

"A Soul Reaper?" The Bount asked. As Ichigo corrected her on his status Rosalie felt her eyes linger on her. "And what business does a Substitute Soul Reaper and his friend have with me?"

Rosalie raised her eyebrows.

"You're about to absorb the soul of a living person and you're asking us why we're here?" She questioned. Hiko peeked at the Bount from behind his mistress' shoulder.

"We know what you are," Ichigo said. "And if you haven't guessed it already I can't let you eat the soul of living people."

"I would prefer it if you didn't interfere." The Bount said.

Rosalie titled her head as the Bount spoke, picking up on a second presence residing within the woman. It distantly reminded her of Hiko, in the fact that it was connected to the Bount in a fundamental way. Was it the Doll?

"Too bad!" Ichigo growled, hand going to Zangetsu as he lunged forward. Ririn barely managed to keep her grip on his clothing.

The Bount threw the woman she'd essentially tried to eat into Ichigo's arms, forcing him to stop and attempted to make a run for it. Rosalie ran after her as her brother was forced to pause.

Now that Rosalie and Hiko had sensed her spiritual energy she was easy to keep track of.

"Stop!" Rosalie shouted. Unsurprisingly the woman didn't obey, and if it was even possible, picked up her speed.

She and Hiko cornered her eventually.

"I'm not looking for a fight," Rosalie said. "But we need answers on why you'd go so far as to break your own law!"

"What do you mean?" The Bount demanded.

"I know your people are forbidden from eating the soul of a living person!" Rosalie said. "Though the reason on why is unclear."

"You're well informed," the Bount said. "Enough to make me curious – who are you? Your soul isn't like the Substitute's."

Rosalie hesitated to answer just as Ichigo arrived.

"You've cornered her! Good job Rose," He said. She heard Zangetsu being lifted into the air, no doubt to be pointed at the Bount. The teen demanded the Bount to reveal her intentions, as well as any plan she may have.

"Plan?" The Bount scoffed. "Even if I did tell you there's no way your feeble mind could comprehend it! What an annoying boy."

"Annoying or not you ain't leaving until you've answered some questions." Ichigo said.

"I'm not looking for a fight," The Bount said, echoing Rosalie's words from before. Rosalie felt a surge of spiritual pressure that had subtle differences from the Bount's and it suddenly clicked in her mind what was happening.

"She's summoning her Doll!" The girl shouted. "Ichigo!"

"Zeige Dich, Goethe!" The Bount shouted.

Heat blew harshly into Rosalie's face and she hissed, jumping backwards as Ichigo did the same.

"Fire?" He muttered.

"Careful guys," Ririn warned. "That isn't ordinary fire."

Then something formed from the flames – a Doll that possessed a humanoid shape made out molten lava and fire. Flames shot out from where its legs would have been, keeping the Doll suspended in the air.

"This is a Doll?" Ichigo gasped.

"That's right," The Bount said.

Hiko spat at the creature as it looked over its shoulder at its mistress. Rosalie winced, Hiko wanted to be Released right now but the girl wanted to listen for a moment.

"Yoshino," A decidedly deep, male voice came from the Doll. "Have you summoned me?"

So the Bount's name was Yoshino.

"Please take care of them Goethe," Yoshino ordered. "They've been very troublesome!"

"Troublesome?" Goethe echoed. "Alright then."

He proceeded to throw fire at them, and the two teens dodged in opposite directions to avoid getting burned.

Ichigo attacked first, but even when he calmed his mind and hit a weakness he thought he had noticed it only revealed that Goethe was able to dissemble himself into pieces which he could launch at his opponent.

 _'Not only that but he can regenerate!'_ Rosalie thought. _'A frontal attack isn't going to cut it!'_

 ** _"Kido then?"_** Takehiko's voice rumbled in her mind.

 _"It looks like it,"_ She said. _"Which spell do you think would suffice?"_

 _ **"Bakudo #63; Sajo Sabaku, followed by Hado #1; Sho."**_

 _"Remember to shield yourself with your spiritual pressure. It wouldn't take long for him to fatally burn you if he had a chance."_

Rosalie felt her Beast's amusement as Hiko chirped. _**"Yes ma'am."**_

She stepped forward just as Ichigo was shoved back into a wall by Goethe's fireball. Rosalie heard the impact dislodge something and there was a crash as multiple things fell.

"I'm stuck!" Ichigo's voice grunted. Ririn cried out. This was not good.

"Finish him!" Yoshino shouted.

"Finish him?" Goethe rumbled. "Alright then."

"Damn!" Rosalie bit out as Ririn attempted to free Ichigo from the debris that kept him from escaping the danger.

As she ran forward, Rosalie raised her right arm and shouted. "Hado #1; Sho!"

But as the kido rushed toward the ball of fire Rosalie felt another kido attack aimed at the fireball, and its owner's spiritual pressure was one she'd recognize anywhere.

Combined, the attacks were more than enough to obliterate the fireball and Goethe was actually thrown back a few feet by the aftershock.

Then, among the scattered flames landed the person who had attacked in conjunction with Rosalie.

Rukia.

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 **Hope you all enjoyed this. Sorry if you thought it was a bit short, promise future chapters will be longer. Also, in regards to Rosalie's new shirt, for the "stripe embroidery on the borders go to a picture of Kushina Uzumaki from Naruto as a genin. I based Rosalie's shirt off of it so the little lines on Kushina's shirt is pretty much what I'm trying to describe. Read and Review!**

 **Sign**

 _ **Snowlily246**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, hope you all enjoy this. Please Review! Also, I have a recommendation - this story was inspired by another fanfiction, Catalyst by Etiena, which is a Toshiro x Karin pairing also using the Soul Mate method. I personally think its a great read for anyone who wants a realistic romance set in motion by supernatural circumstances.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its characters. I only created Rosalie and Hiko as well as the whole Beast Tamer thing.**

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Chapter 2

"What are you doing, fool?"

Yes. That was most definitely Rukia.

"What's wrong with you Ichigo?" Rukia said. "Don't tell me you've gotten rusty."

"Rukia!" Rosalie cried out. She had not expected to see her friend and mentor so soon again.

"Rosalie," Rukia said. "I can see that you've been practicing."

"Practice makes perfect," Rosalie said, grinning as Ichigo finally freed himself from the debris.

"Rukia?" He said, disbelief in his voice.

Goethe suddenly started to throw fireballs at them again, forcing Rukia and Ichigo to dodge.

"More power Goethe!" Yoshino shouted. "I want you to destroy them!"

"Destroy?" Goethe repeated. "I understand."

Then he started to build up a massive fireball in his hands. Rosalie's eyes narrowed – it was now or never.

"Bakudo #63; Sajo Sabaku!" She shouted.

Bright yellow chains shot toward Goethe and wrapped around his torso, forcing his arms down and trapping them. The fireball he'd been amassing fell apart and Rosalie quickly followed up on the attack.

"Run rampant, Takehiko!"

Spiritual energy sizzled around Hiko and lifted him off of Rosalie's shoulder, he underwent a dramatic transformation and became a huge simian. His brown eyes were now red, and the large scar on his chest was now very visible.

Rosalie wasted no time, and quickly grabbed onto her Beast as he ran forward. Quickly scrambling onto his back she called out, "Hado #1; Sho!"

The spell went through her hands and into Takehiko, increasing in strength as he jumped into the air and let the kido loose from his palm. It hit Goethe who was still struggling with Sajo Sabaku and the Doll grunted as he was forced back.

"Goethe!" Yoshino shouted.

"Now Takehiko!" Rosalie ordered.

The Beast landed feet first on Goethe, creating a small crater. Using his spiritual pressure to shield him, Takehiko grabbed onto Goethe's forearms and slammed him against the ground before screaming in his face. The Doll's struggling immediately stopped.

"You will submit!" Takehiko growled, the fire reflected off of his red eyes and added a decidedly demonic edge to the Beast's already intimidating stare. It was like looking into two pools of hellfire.

A few feet away, Ichigo, Rukia and Ririn watched the stalemate.

"I'm really glad he's not my enemy," Ririn muttered.

"No kidding," Ichigo said, his eyes going to the female Bount who was staring at Takehiko with disbelief, fear, and awe. Rukia followed his stare.

"You were chasing her?" She inquired. At Ichigo's nod she crossed her arms and said. "Well, I'd say she has nowhere else to run to now. Let's go talk to her – and would you mind telling me why you were chasing her in the first place?"

"Bit of a long story," Ichigo said as he and Rukia walked towards the Bount. Yoshino glanced at Goethe but it was clear that he was still struggling to escape Rosalie's kido as well as overpower Takehiko, who still had him pinned.

"You've gotten yourself into a sorry situation haven't you? This is what you get for being so naughty wandering about without my permission."

Everyone stiffened at the new male voice.

"Ichigo," Ririn whispered. "It's a Bount."

Standing off to the side was a man, with short brown hair that fans up at the ends and large goatee. He was dressed formally in a button up shirt, tie and light vest. Around his neck was a golden snake with black patterns on its back and green eyes – no doubt his Doll.

"Ryo," Yoshino said.

Ryo's eyes wandered over to Takehiko who was watching him warily, Goethe was frozen, with his attention on Yoshino. Then the new arrival noticed Rosalie. She was poised carefully on Takehiko's back, head turn in Ryo's direction.

"Well," Ryo said. "This is certainly a surprise."

"Who the hell are you?" Ichigo shouted, trying to distract Ryo from his sister.

"He's a noisy one, isn't he?" Ryo said, looking at Ichigo disdainfully. The snake opened its mouth, revealing fangs and hissed at the teen.

"Careful Ichigo!" Ririn whispered.

"You know, where I come from food doesn't talk," Ryo commented.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo demanded.

 _'That he thinks of you as food,'_ Rosalie thought.

"Now, time to take you home," Ryo said to Yoshino, and licked his lips. Yoshino glared at him and back away, her eyes going to Goethe again.

"Yoshino!" Goethe said, and his struggling increased. Rosalie was torn – should she tell Takehiko to free Goethe so he could defend his mistress? She understood what the Doll must be feeling all too well and it was clear to her that Takehiko was hesitant too.

Maybe Ryo saw the indecision in her face.

"Fried!" He said.

The only warning Rosalie had was a loud hiss accompanied by a burst of spiritual energy. The next thing she knew, snakes were wrapping around Takehiko and herself. She was pushed off his back and fell to the ground, one of the snakes coiled around her windpipe and squeezed.

"Rosalie!" Rukia shouted. As she and Ichigo ran over to her, Takehiko screamed in outrage and aggressively used his spiritual pressure to repel the snakes.

The girl gasped for breath and managed to get her hands under the snake, pushing it away from her neck and allowing her to breathe.

Then Rukia was there, she aggressively grasped the snake in her hands and tugged it off of Rosalie, freeing her neck and threw the serpent away.

As Rosalie pushed herself up she felt the snake Rukia had tossed away abruptly fade away – confusing her greatly. She shook off the snake that imprisoned her legs.

While this was happening, Goethe had quickly gotten up and tried to defend Yoshino, but Fried's snakes overwhelmed him and he was defeated.

"Goethe!" Yoshino shouted. She saw Ryo approaching her and attempted to summon her Doll again.

"You've forced my hand Yoshino," Ryo said. "Go Fried!"

The snake that had been wrapped around his neck bound Yoshino's hands together, preventing her from calling on Goethe.

"You will obey usss!" Fried hissed, her feminine voice filed with authority.

Yoshino grunted and tried to free her hands.

"I would suggest that you try not to struggle so much my dear," Ryo said calmly. "Fried here has a bit of an anger management problem and doesn't always do what I say."

"Aren't you two supposed to be allies?" Ichigo said. Confused and wary, he watched as Fried coiled loosely around Yoshino's neck.

"Quiet you insignificant bug, you're giving me a headache!" Ryo sneered.

"Noisy Soul Reaper!" Fried hissed. A metal pipe turned into a snake and launched itself at Ichigo, he narrowly dodged and the snake turned back into a pipe. It was twisted and had lodged itself into a concrete wall.

"How did you go that?" Ichigo demanded. "What kind of powers do Bounts have?"

"If you'll excuse us, as you know nobility and pigs don't share the same table," Ryo said and he jumped onto a roof. Fried dragged Yoshino with her into Ryo arms and he ran off with her.

The flames Goethe had created died down and faded away.

"What were those two?" Rukia asked.

"I have no idea," Ichigo confessed.

Takehiko came up behind Rosalie, and she smiled. Touching his arm she assured him that she was alright.

"Those snakes that attacked us," Takehiko muttered to her. "They formed out of pipes and ropes as well."

"Strange," Rosalie muttered back. "Strange indeed."

Chad and Orihime arrived.

"Guys!" Ichigo said. "Where'd you come from?"

"Ichigo. That guy that was just here," Chad said.

"What? Do you know him?" Ichigo asked.

"No," Chad said lowly. "But I've _seen_ what he can do."

At that moment both he and Orihime noticed Rukia.

"Rukia!" Kon shouted. Rosalie blinked, not realizing he was present as he jumped off of Chad's shoulder and threw himself at Rukia.

"I can't believe it! The virginal, unexplored territory of Rukia's small but welcoming chest! It'll be like climbing up a cushy vertical wall!" Kon squealed.

Rukia stomped on him when he came close and continued to do so as she shouted, "A vertical wall? You little pervert, you'll pay for that!"

Rosalie sighed.

Delighted to see her, Orihime ran over to Rukia and hugged tightly, expressing her joy at seeing the Soul Reaper again. She rambled about how they should all celebrate Rukia's return by eating out after she let a remark about Uryu possibly having feelings for the Soul Reaper out.

Which wasn't true of course. Just a result of Orihime's overactive imagination.

The group all went to a nearby park where Rukia informed them about how she'd been assigned to once again rid Karakura Town of hollows.

"It wasn't what I expected, or what I wanted," Rukia admitted. "But I was in no position to question the order."

Ichigo sighed. "Figures. I rescued you and now I'm stuck with you."

Rosalie giggled, holding Hiko in her arms as Rukia complained that Ichigo's line should have been hers.

Then Ririn made herself known, asking who Rukia was – and the Soul Reaper freaked out.

"Ah! What is that? Why is that ugly stuffed doll talking?!" She cried out.

Rosalie frowned. "That wasn't very nice Rukia. She's like Kon – a Mod Soul. They have reishi sensors that help us locate the Bounts. Kisuke gave her and the others to us."

"Humph! That's right!" Ririn sniffed. "And I didn't choose this body – I got stuck with it for your information!"

Rukia frowned. "I don't understand." She said.

"Huh!" Ririn scoffed. "If you judge everything by appearances then you'll be sorry!"

"I believe she meant that she doesn't know what the Bounts are doing here, Ririn!" Kurodo pointed out. He was now a cutesy bag with long rabbit like ears. A stuffed doll that doubled as a bag with the strap going around Orihime's torso.

"I can't even tell if they could be allies, or if they're enemies." Rukia muttered. Kurodo spoke again, getting her attention.

"Yes, they are hard to read that's for sure! And they are dangerous, but as for their objectives; I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!" Kurodo said cheerfully. "Hello there my pretty young lady!"

Rukia walked up to Orihime, her eyes locked on Kurodo.

"What is this?" Rukia asked.

"Oh, his name's Kurodo," Orihime said. "Urahara gave him to me as an assistant. Right over there is Noba, who's assisting Chad."

Chad held Noba up and the Mod Soul said hello, but Rukia was not paying attention, her eyes still locked on Kurodo.

"He's . . . he's so cute!" Rukia whispered.

"Huh?" Kurodo said.

 _'Oh boy,'_ Rosalie thought.

Rukia abruptly grabbed onto Kurodo and hugged him tight, inadvertently tugging at the strap that kept him with Orihime.

"Oh I just love him!" Rukia squealed. "He looks just like my Chappy!"

Kon immediately wailed about the unfairness of love. Kurodo seemed to be enjoying the attention while Orihime said that she couldn't give Kurodo to Rukia despite how much she meant to her. Then she gasped.

"We both want the same man!" Orihime whispered. "It's a love triangle!"

"I wanna be in the love triangle too!" Kon shouted, trying to get Rukia's attention.

Hiko yawned and Rosalie adjusted her grip on him so he was nestled in the crook of her right arm.

"Maybe we should take this somewhere else," She said to Ichigo. "After all, people can hear and see everyone else. We might get unwanted attention."

"You're right," Ichigo said, then he sighed. "Looks like we'll have to go to our house. Man, I just know Dad is going to act like an idiot when he sees Orihime and Rukia."

Rosalie smiled with sympathy. "It can't be helped."

So once the fiasco with Rukia, Kurodo, Orihime and Kon wined down, Ichigo and Rosalie led everyone back to their place.

The girl snuck in and shifted back into human form while Ichigo went back into his body which had been laying on his bed.

They went downstairs when the others pushed the doorbell, and explained to Isshin and Yuzu that they were doing some late night studying.

Having no memory of Rukia, they welcomed the teens and accepted the excuse.

Ichigo and Isshin had one of their squabbles though, which was to be expected. Rosalie stood off to the side and calmly waited for the spat to end – Isshin believed he was dreaming since he thought there was no way that Ichigo could get not one, but two pretty girls to come to the house.

Something abruptly occurred to Rosalie and she went to the kitchen to make a phone call as Ichigo kicked his father in the back in retaliation for throwing him into a wall.

"Ichigo!" She called out as he held Isshin in a chokehold, phone call finished. She could sense Yuzu standing to the side, crying out for the two to stop fighting as Isshin managed to flip Ichigo over.

"Come on, stop that!" Rosalie scolded. "Our friends are already upstairs! It's rude to keep them waiting, Ichi."

"She's right!" Yuzu agreed. "Besides, you'll wake up Karin if you keep this up!"

"My darling Yuzu and Rosie! So considerate!" Isshin squealed. He dropped Ichigo, and raced to the dining room where his wife's poster was put up. Rosalie could hear him shouting, "Masaki! Listen to me! Our daughters are -!"

She tuned out the rest. Hiko yawned.

When she and Ichigo finally made it to his bedroom, they sat down to go over what they knew and what their next course of action would be.

The Tamer sat on the bed, behind Orihime and Rukia, legs folded under her. She held Hiko in her hands, and the monkey eyed Kon who was muttering in his sleep. He had grown more tolerant of the Mod Soul as time went on, and was even cautiously friendly – as long as Kon kept his lecherous tendencies focused on someone other than Rosalie.

"Well," Ichigo said. "We have these three to help us locate the Bounts. But even if we find them I don't think they'd be willing to answer our questions, never mind catching them."

Chad nodded in agreement.

"Besides trickery, what other powers do the Bounts have?" Rukia asked.

"Like us the enemy seems to have abilities that vary from one individual to the next. It's hard to know what will work," Kurodo said. "Quite the headache too!"

"That's for sure," Ichigo sighed. "My zanpakuto had no effect on that fire monster, Goethe. And that other guy is a complete mystery. We're gonna have to know a hell of a lot more if we're gonna fight these guys."

"I know a little bit from my blood memories," Rosalie said slowly. "But I'm not sure how much it will help."

"Anything is useful." Rukia said.

"My mother's family was one of those who came into contact with them," Rosalie said. "When a few Bounts stumbled upon my tribe a couple of centuries ago. Since they had a lot of similarities to each other, the Bounts integrated with the tribe quickly. There were even a few marriages. I – I think one of my mother's relatives married a Bount."

"Really?" Orihime gasped.

Smiling, Rosalie nodded. "Then . . ." She paused.

Soul Reapers had been after them.

Why had Soul Reapers been chasing them?

"Ugh!" Rosalie slapped her forehead. "I am a moron! I completely overlooked it! Damn!"

"Overlooked what?" Chad asked.

"Soul Reapers had been after them," Rosalie explained. "They . . . they said something about an order to . . . exterminate the Bounts! But as I said before by that time those few Bounts had integrated into the tribe – and my people look after their own. They refused to hand over their clansmen. Soul Society wasn't keen on starting a fight with Tamers - they knew they'd probably lose. So those few Bounts were left alone."

"An order to exterminate?" Rukia repeated, looking disturbed. "But why?"

"I'm not sure – I know they were afflicted with Soul Society at some point though, at lease on neutral terms." Rosalie bit her lip. "I need to look closer."

"Please do," Ichigo said. "You're the best source of information we've got right now."

"It's going to take time!" Rosalie warned. "Takehiko will see what he can find while I'm sleeping easily enough but it'll be tedious going through separate recollections of that event. At the time my family was rather large so there are quite a few blood memories to look through."

"At least we have an idea on what the Bounts may be after." Ririn said.

"And what would that be?" Rukia asked.

"Revenge," Ririn said simply. "I know I wouldn't be happy if my people were being hunted and cut down."

"Revenge against the Seireitei," Rukia said, her eyes widening.

"At least we're getting somewhere now," Ichigo said. "A possible motive."

"They're bitter," Orihime said sadly.

"Why didn't Soul Society mention anything to you about the Bounts?" Ichigo said, looking at Rukia.

"I'm not sure," Her brow furrowed in thought. "I find it difficult to believe that they were unaware of the Bounts' movements, given what Rosalie just told us. So it's likely they didn't think the situation was that serious. I-,"

Her Soul Pager beeped, cutting her off. Rukia opened the phone and Renji's voice blared out of it.

 _"Rukia! Is that really you?"_ he said happily. _"I just heard from the Captain that you got reassigned here! That's great! I'm coming right ove_ r!"

"Coming over?" Rukia repeated. "Renji, wait -,"

The sound of shattered glass both, from the phone and downstairs followed by "Who the hell are you intruder?" vibrated in Rosalie's ears. She sighed loudly.

Everyone rushed downstairs to find that Renji had broken in through the living room window and landed on Isshin. Yuzu, confused and scared, hovered nearby – thankfully the commotion hadn't woken up Karin. As Renji greeted Rukia the doorbell rang.

"Who could that be?" Yuzu asked.

"I called someone," Rosalie said, walking over to the door. "I thought of another friend who may want to join the last minute study session too."

She opened it.

Ichigo blurt out, "Uryu?"

For there was Uryu Ishida, dressed in casual clothes with a shoulder bag hanging across his torso, arms crossed in front of him.

"Happy you could make it," Rosalie said warmly, ignoring her brother's outburst.

Uryu pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Happy to be here."

Yuzu and Isshin were staring at Uryu with expressions Ichigo knew all too well. Before he could open his mouth, his father was on his feet, sending Renji sprawling.

"Who is this Rosalie?" He demanded.

"A friend," Rosalie said calmly. "And when I say "friend," I mean _it_. Don't make him uncomfortable, Isshin."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Isshin boomed. "YOU ARE MY ELDEST DAUGHTER, I _**MUST**_ MAKE SURE YOU HAVE WORTHY SUITORS! MY SWEET ROSIE! YOU'RE BLOOMING INTO WOMANHO – ow, ow, ow!"

Rosalie had snatched him by the ear. "I'm sorry Uryu. Usually I have more control over him. Why don't you all go upstairs while I handle this?"

Relieved that he wasn't the one being embarrassed for once Ichigo quickly motioned everyone upstairs as Rosalie started to scold her adoptive father. Uryu seemed more or less indifferent to Isshin's outburst, if not faintly flustered.

As he closed the door to his room, Ichigo could hear Rosalie ordering Isshin to apologize to Uryu before he left.

 **x**

In the end, they decided to wing it.

Rukia attend school with the teens the next day, having somehow modified the memories of their classmates beforehand.

She was now known as a relatively new classmate who was beginning to make friends and fit in. The first half of the day passed by quickly and uneventfully – but during their free period, trouble reared its ugly head.

Ririn detected a Bount, and informed Ichigo, having been hiding inside his shirt pocket.

Everyone bar Uryu ran off, with Rosalie shifting into spirit form and Ichigo leaving his body behind in the nurse's office.

As they ran Ririn informed them it was the man – Ryo – who had made an appearance. Ichigo questioned why the Bount was active now, since they had usually gone after people when darkness fell.

"Obviously not always since this one is definitely here now!" Kurodo shouted in his usual cheerful tone. "Our detective capabilities are very good! Hahaha!"

"Ichi!" Rosalie said. "I can sense him now – me and Hiko will approach him from behind and conceal our spiritual pressure. We can sneak up on him then!"

Ichigo agreed and at the next street Rosalie turned the corner as the others kept running straight.

"Hang on tight, love," She warned Hiko, and the monkey grunted that he understood. His grip on her shirt tightened as Rosalie came up to the back of a building and used crates to get her closer to the roof – and there!

Rosalie crouched down low, and crawled to the edge of the roof, just out of sight, and listen. She could feel the spiritual pressure of a woman whom she didn't know – likely a would-be victim. There was also a faint imprint of spirit energy that she couldn't feel anywhere else in the general vicinity. Takehiko gave her the grim news that it was man they'd been too late to save.

The girl bit her bottom lip.

Ichigo questioned Ryo, who calmly said, "No comment," to everything her brother asked him. Then the Bount casually asked Ichigo which he thought tasted better; the soul of Human or that of a Soul Reaper?

Hiko hissed.

This angered the orange haired teen, to say the least, and he immediately attacked, instigating the fight. Ryo summoned his Doll and soon snakes were everywhere. Uryu arrived, having chosen to follow, and warned his friends to watch the ground.

Rosalie hesitated to attack – the girl Ryo had been about to eat was still near him and attacking the Bount could inadvertently get her hurt.

At least she knew more about Ryo's Doll, Fried. The snake could be used as a whip – creating fissions in the ground from which snakes materialized. The Doll could also turn anything Ryo turned his thoughts to into a snake; like the strap Orihime used for Kurodo.

"What's this?!" Kurodo squeaked as he fell to the ground. "Suddenly there are snakes everywhere and I do not like snakes, do you hear me?! I do not like them at all! Get it off me, get if off me!"

Noba kicked the snake off of Kurodo while Ririn berated her comrade for his foolishness. They quickly ran out of the line of fire.

Ryo took quick notice of how Uryu didn't make use of any special abilities to protect himself and targeted him – making Rosalie tense, but she took the opportunity and leaped down.

Scooping the woman into her arms, she was relieved to hear Ichigo come to Uryu's defense and quickly jumped back onto the roof, making her way to the other side.

Rosalie put the woman down near some crates at the back of the building, happy to sense that nothing was wrong with her, the shock of Ryo's attack had just caused her to faint.

 _It probably doesn't help that she likely saw how Ryo killed the man._ She noted grimly. After using her kido to establish a shield around the woman – just in case – Rosalie rushed to rejoin her friends and help them out.

 **x**

Ichigo smirked when Ryo turned and saw that his would be victim was not where he had left her. The Bount frowned with annoyance, and summoned more snakes out of the ropes and pipes lying about.

"I take it that the red head is responsible for my meal's disappeared?" Ryo said, displeasure coloring his voice.

"No comment," Ichigo said, still smirking.

"Funny," The Bount said, clearly not meaning it. There was a pause, then he inexplicably regained his composure and smiled. "Tell me, friend. Would that lovely young girl happen to be a Beast Tamer?"

Not liking where this was going Ichigo dropped his smirk and glared at Ryo openly. "And what if she is?" He demanded.

"If she is one then I'll be taking her with me," Ryo said. "My leader is quite anxious to meet her."

"Not a chance in hell!" Rukia snapped, taking the words out of Ichigo's mouth.

"Don't act as if you have a say in the matter."

"What do you want with me?"

Rosalie was behind him, pushing some of her bangs behind her ear as she glared in his direction, Hiko tense on her shoulder. Ichigo took a small amount of pleasure at Ryo's brief surprise – the Bount hadn't realized she was so close.

Ryo, nevertheless, took in Rosalie with his eyes, lingering on her scarred face and taking his sweet time as he did it. The tension of those few minutes could have been cut with a knife.

"My name is Ryo Utagawa," He said, all polite and the picture of gentlemanly manners. "May I inquire as to yours, my dear?"

After a moment of hesitation, Rosalie spoke. "My name is Rosalie."

"Ah," The Bount said. "Named after a flower, are you? Its loveliness suits you."

Frowning, the teen crossed her arms in front of her. "I will ask nicely one more time," She said. "What do you want with me?"

"It is not what I want," He said. "It is what my leader wants. As I said before he is most anxious to make your acquaintance. I'm sure you've noticed the similarities between our people, yes?"

When Rosalie said nothing, he continued. "I'm sure you've had. You are probably unaware of this but our people are . . . relatives, of a sort. We have never had the pleasure of meeting a Beast Tamer before now – only whispers about them. Truthfully we believed they were myths until our unpleasant first meeting yesterday. My leader would be honored make your acquaintance."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I will have to resort to . . . unseemly methods." No sooner had Ryo spoken than the snakes lying around his feet flung themselves at Rosalie's friends.

"Bastard!" She shouted, taking a step forward with the full intent of throttling Ryo when his next words stopped her cold.

"I've always wondered what a Quincy's soul tastes like," He commented. "With your friend so easily at hand – I may be unable to help myself if you don't come along quietly."

A large snake had coiled around Uryu and dragged him next to Ryo before any of his friends could free him.

"You . . ." Rosalie said, anger shaking her voice as Hiko spat at Ryo.

"Well, Rosalie?" Ryo inquired as a struggling Uryu was forced up to face him. "Do we have a bargain?"

 _What do I do?_ Rosalie thought.

Why did everything have to go so wrong so fast?

* * *

 **Hoped you all liked it!**

 **Sign**

 _ **Snowlily246**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone, sorry for the wait but here is the next chapter! Its shorter than what you're use to but my chapters are going to be an average of eight to ten pages now. I feel like I'll be rushing the Arc otherwise.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. I own only my OC Rosalie, her parents, and her monkey as well as the Shushi.**

* * *

Chapter 3

"Well?" Ryo said, "I'm waiting."

 **" _Damn this bastard to hell!"_** Takehiko's voice growled. Rosalie couldn't have put it better herself. She glared in the Bount's direction, her hands balled into fists at her sides.

"Fine!" She bit out.

"Rosalie, no! Don-Hmm!" Uryu was cut off when the snake shifted and covered his mouth, hissing with annoyance as it squeezed him tight.

"There's no other option at the moment. Don't worry. They wouldn't go to this much trouble to take me just so I could be killed later." Rosalie assured him – and the rest of her friends.

"Don't fear, she is very much correct. Now come to me my dear, let's be on our way." Ryo said. Unseen by Rosalie he held out his hand to her, she felt the movement though and could guess at what he was doing.

"First things first, release Uryu." She ordered.

"Your distrust in my integrity wounds me," Ryo sniffed, but Rosalie felt the snake holding her friend move over to where the others were and stepped forward, towards Ryo. Hiko's grip on her shoulder was starting to hurt, but the girl said nothing to her friend.

As she neared the Bount, another presence – a familiar one – prodded at her for attention. Rosalie froze.

Yoshino. What was she doing here; to help Ryo? No, that didn't fit at all. Rosalie had been able to tell from their interaction last night that Ryo and Yoshino's relationship wasn't exactly a positive one. Neutral at best, perhaps.

Maybe that was a good thing.

Hiko felt it too, and chattered.

"Come along girl, hurry up now." Ryo was losing patience. The snake carrying Uryu paused.

Before Rosalie could take another step, Goethe's fireballs rained down on the group. Frieda coiled around Ryo to protect him and Rosalie was forced to move back. Uryu, meanwhile, was unceremoniously dropped to the ground, he fell with a dull thud as fire rose around them. The snake holding him had smothered the boy until he lost consciousness.

"Uryu!"

Rosalie raced towards him, narrowly avoiding the snake that attempted to ensnare her in its grasp. Time was of the essence here. She needed to get to him before the flames, or worse, Ryo did.

Someone else beat her to it.

Yoshino scooped up the boy in her arms as Rosalie approached them.

"What are you doing?!" She demanded.

"If you want to stop Kariya, follow me," Yoshino said simply, before adding, "Goethe, finish things here!"

"Finish things. Got it."

Goethe made fire rain down on everyone else, forcing them to dodge and take cover as the Bount fled with Uryu. Rosalie's path, however, was clear. She hesitated for only a moment before running after Yoshino.

Rosalie followed Yoshino for a good thirty minutes before the woman decided to stop. They were on a rooftop, and Rosalie could feel the sun on her face as the silence stretched between them.

"I have a place where we can treat his injuries," Yoshino said. "It's not far from here. Once we've done that, we can talk."

Rosalie nodded warily. She wasn't sensing any ill intent from Yoshino, but that could just be because the Bount was talented at controlling her emotions. It didn't hurt to be careful.

Yoshino led her to an abandoned apartment building, and Rosalie tended to her friend's injuries as he slept on the couch. Besides a little night stand it was the only furniture in the room.

"How is he?" Yoshino inquired.

"He'll be fine," Rosalie said. Hiko sat on top of her head, gazing at his surroundings with interest. "It's not too serious."

"That's good."

It was quiet between them again, but this time Rosalie couldn't ignored the awkwardness hovering at the edge of it.

"My name is Rosalie, and my Beast is Hiko." She finally said. "I already picked up on yours – Yoshino, right?"

"That's right," Rosalie felt Yoshino look her up and down. "I never thought I would meet a Beast Tamer. The rumors say that you all went extinct, if you even existed at all."

"From what I've learned my people are very good at hiding," Rosalie commented, her lips twitching upwards. "They – we, didn't like to get caught up in messy situations as a community unless the threat was serious."

"I see. Well, that's understandable." Yoshino's voice was soft but serious, and polite too. Rosalie couldn't help but feel a strange echo of sadness hovering at the edges of Yoshino's words though. This Bount was no stranger to tragedy. "How did your people die out?"

"Massacre," Rosalie bluntly. "Beast Tamers were never big in numbers, but we weren't small either. There was a sickness that killed off a large portion of our population, and the survivors came together to help each other pick up the pieces," she sighed. "That proved to be our undoing. We were all in one place, so the massacre was effect in annihilating us. As far as I know, it's likely that I'm the only one left."

"That must be lonely," Yoshino commented.

Rosalie shook her head, mindful of Hiko. "Not as much as you would think. I have Hiko at my side – we help each other cope with that loneliness," She paused. "What's happening Yoshino? Who is Kariya?"

"A Bount," Yoshino replied. "The Bount. The one behind all of this."

Before she could continue Uryu groaned and started to come to.

"Uryu?" Rosalie turned her attention to him in an instant. "Uryu. Are you okay?"

"What happened?" The boy muttered. "Where am I?"

"Ryo's snake smothered you and you passed out," Rosalie said hesitantly, "And . . . as for the second question, I'm not entirely sure. There's someone who wants to talk to us though."

Uryu finally noticed Yoshino, who had been observing him and the teen immediately sat up, wincing at the movement.

"Careful, I treated you but did have concussion, and you're going to feel it," The Beast Tamer warned. She added more softly, "Don't worry Uryu. This is Yoshino, and apparently she just wants to talk. I think she's against the Bounts who've been feeding on living souls."

Unseen to her, Uryu's eyes narrowed.

"Wasn't she trying to feed on living souls just a day ago?" He said.

Before Rosalie could say anything Yoshino responded to his accusation herself.

"Yes. I needed more power to stop the Bount that is behind all of the attacks and leading the others. Absorbing living souls was the only way I could think of to gain that power quickly, however, I realize I was wrong to do so. There is no excuse for breaking the laws my people set for ourselves." Yoshino said calmly.

Uryu took in her words, considering them. Rosalie said nothing, and let her friend come to his own conclusions. They could hash it out between them later, if they ended up with opposing opinions.

"I'm curious," Yoshino said suddenly. "How did you lose your powers?"

Uryu truthfully said that he had gone beyond his limit once and it cost him his powers. Yoshino commented on his self-pity, and wondered out loud if she should have found another.

"There aren't any other Quincy," Uryu said. "I'm not the last one."

"The last one?" Yoshino repeated, her eyes going to Rosalie who put a hand on her friend's shoulder. The Bount smiled to herself. "I see. So you're both alone. All that's left."

Rosalie shrugged, and said, "Life can be a bitch that way."

Uryu coughed and Hiko snickered. Yoshino's lips twitched.

"It can indeed." She agreed, then turned serious. "I led you here to explain things, to warn you both. The Bount who's behind all this is called Kariya, and he will stop at nothing to obtain his goals, but what they are I'm not completely certain. As you know we Bounts have a law . . ."

And so, Yoshino went on to explain how a Bount obtained the power to affect space by absorbing living souls, and as such, could pass into the afterlife. However, doing so would destroy the balance of the world and that knowledge had kept the Bounts from ever breaking the law, until now. Kariya was doing just that, and was targeting Uryu due to a prophecy that proclaimed the Bount's fate would be determined by a Quincy.

Uryu passed out near the end.

"He needs to get to a hospital," Rosalie said urgently.

"Very well," Yoshino said. "I'll carry him."

She picked him up and the two moved towards the window, Yoshino spoke again.

"Kariya is very interested in you too," The Bount warned. "I'm not sure why."

"Our people came into contact once," Rosalie said. "Yours even married into the clans. Kariya might have found out about it through the rumors you keep mentioning."

Yoshino had stopped walking.

"Rosalie," She said softly. "Did those marriages . . . did they result in any children?"

Rosalie blinked, and then remembered one of the facts Takehiko had dug up; Bounts were incapable of reproducing with each other, or humans for that matter.

"Yes," She said. "Some of them. Beast Tamer blood is dominant though, and our people are so alike . . . the children all took after their Tamer parents in regards to their powers."

"I see." Yoshino said softly, and was silent. She didn't speak as they went to the nearby hospital, but said farewell after giving Rosalie Uryu to hold and left.

Rosalie half dragged Uryu inside the hospital doors, after taking on her physical form and shouted for help. Doctors and nurses swarmed them, taking Uryu away to be treated.

Once she gave the edited explanation on how Uryu had been injured, Rosalie pulled out her cell, and dialed.

Urahara answered immediately and Rosalie spoke before he could get a word in.

"I'm fine, and so is Uryu. We're at the hospital a few blocks away from the plaza. He's being treated now, make sure everyone knows I'm fine and to come here right away."

Urahara told her he would, and asked if she found out anything.

"Yoshino claims that another Bount called Kariya is trying to destroy the divide between this world and the world of the Hollows. I don't have to tell you what would happen if he succeeded. I'm pretty confident Yoshino was telling the truth though." Rosalie said. "She also mentioned that there was a prophecy that the fate of the Bounts would be determined by a Quincy."

"I'll look into it," Urahara promised. "This will be helpful in getting more information. Ichigo and the others are here now. I'll tell them where you are so expect them in an hour."

Rosalie said she would and hung up. Hiko nuzzled her cheek and she absently scratched him under his chin, her mind going a mile a minute. She had a feeling it was going to be a long day.

* * *

 **Hope you all liked it! Oh and don't worry - Kariya won't be interested in Rosalie for continuing the Bounts. Like she said, a union between a Bount and a Beast Tamer would simply produce another Beast Tamer. Tamer blood is dominant. He will want to make use of her for something else though so read closely!**

 **Best,**

 ** _Snowliliy24_ 6**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the loooooooong wait, but here is the next chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, nor its characters, I own only my OC charater, Rosalie and the other characters I've created for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 4

To say that Rosalie was exhausted would be an understatement.

In hindsight, she realized she should have expected this; the recent incident with the Shushi at Soul Society, the stress with Urahara's "exercise", the Bounts, and then Uryu's injuries. Her lifespan . . .

Mental stress didn't help Rosalie with her health issues – in fact, they tended to have a large impact on how much of a good or bad turn they took; helped her recovery go faster, or impeded it.

So not long after she hung up her call to Urahara, Rosalie was only mildly surprised when a nurse took her by the elbow and led the teen into another room. As Hiko climbed on top of her head, Rosalie realized her face was flushed, and likely red. She felt lightheaded too. When had that happened?

Still, Rosalie didn't want to believe she was having a fallout, but couldn't deny the truth when she felt sick, and then threw up the meager contains of her stomach into a bucket . . . before promptly fainting.

 _'This sucks,'_ was the last conscious thought Rosalie had before she fell under.

 **xxx**

Orihime chewed her bottom lip, worriedly looking up at Ichigo who was pacing back and forth. They had just gone to see Uryu, who was doing fine, but discovered that Rosalie had been hospitalized as well. Thankfully, the hospital had put the girl on the same floor as Uryu, and across the hall too.

There had been confusion at first, for Orihime, when Uryu told them about Rosalie. From the recording of the call Rosalie had made to Urahara, the younger girl sounded perfectly fine. There hadn't been any indication in Rosalie's voice that she was ill or on the verge of collapsing.

No; she had been calm, matter-of-fact, reassuring. Rosalie in perfect health.

What concerned Orihime more than Rosalie's sudden collapse, was how Ichigo seemed unsurprised when Uryu's nurse detailed his sister's symptoms. All she saw was a grim recognition in the Substitute Soul Reaper's face.

It scared her. This was normal?

"Um, Ichigo?" Orihime said timidly, unsure and unwilling to break his train of thought, but also unable to help herself.

He didn't hear her at first, and she had to repeat herself before he blinked and actually looked at her.

"Yeah, Orihime?" Ichigo said. She stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out how to form her question. Her friend's hands were stuffed into his pockets, and his scowl even deeper than usual. The telltale signs of Ichigo brooding.

"Uh, do things usually get this bad for Rosalie?" She asked. "In the Soul Society, she only got so sick because of that man messing with . . . It. Is this how bad her health gets even when . . . It . . . hasn't been tampered with?"

Ichigo sighed.

"It depends," he admitted, running a hand through his spiky orange head of hair. "Sometimes Rosalie is confined to bed for a couple of days because she's too weak to get out. Other times it's like this – she has a hard time keeping stuff down and gets a fever. The worst are the migraines though."

"Migraines?" Orihime echoed.

"They're really, really bad," Ichigo grimaced. "Easily the worst of all that can happen during her fallouts. Thankfully it's rare that Rosalie gets that bad, and the fallouts themselves only happen every couple of months – or weeks if she's under stress or something."

"How awful."

"It is what it is," Ichigo muttered, his expression sour. "Before we found out about the Shushi I had no idea why Rose's health was so bad, neither did my family. Dad said it might just be a genetic thing – that she had a delicate constitution or weakened immune system and all that cause she got unlucky in life's lottery." He smiled darkly. "Well, the Old Man was half right."

Seeing his pain, his frustration at only being able to wait, Orihime looked at him sadly.

"Ichigo . . ."

The door to Rosalie's room opened, cutting Orihime off.

A female doctor of Japanese descent blinked at them. She appeared to be relatively young, and was rather pretty. Her black hair was pulled back into a braided ponytail that reached mid-back. Brown eyes examined them from behind square glasses with sliver frames. Underneath a standard white doctor's coat, the woman wore a brown blouse, black knee length skirt, and comfortable but stylish black shoes.

"I'm Rosalie's brother," Ichigo said immediately. "Ichigo Kurosaki."

Understanding flooded the doctor's eyes, and she adjusted her glasses.

"Oh, I see. My name is Tohru Takemura, Mr. Kurosaki. Your sister's condition is stable, and she's sleeping at the moment."

"Anything serious?" Ichigo questioned.

"As far as we can tell there is no permanent damage, and nothing is physically wrong with her. . . It is my understanding that your sister has a history of health problems, correct?"

Ichigo nodded. "My family runs a clinic so she's usually treated by my dad."

"Mm," Tohru hummed. "I see. Well, Mr. Kurosaki, I'm afraid you can't see her just yet. We want to keep Ms. Crest overnight to monitor her condition and look for any abnormalities. Have you called your father?"

"No, I just got here." Ichigo admitted.

"I suggest you do," she said. "There is paperwork he needs to sign."

They watched her walk down the hall, and waited until she was out of sight to speak.

"At least it looks like she'll be alright," Orihime said.

Ichigo nodded slowly. "This probably won't last long, maybe a day or two and she'll be back to normal. I'll change into a Soul Reaper to stay with her, the Bounts have shown interest in Rosalie too. It wouldn't be smart to leave her alone, even if we're only across the hall."

"Sensible, but I don't think that will be necessary."

Ichigo and Orihime turned to see Rukia leaning against the wall behind her.

"What do you mean, Rukia?" Orihime asked.

"I called Urahara to update him on events. He's sending Yoruichi to pick Rosalie up."

"What?" Ichigo's eyes widened.

"Considering her collapse in the Soul Society, and how relatively short a time it's been since then, he wants to monitor her condition himself. And . . . well, she'll be safe in his shop. It'll be safer for her, and easier for us if they look after Rosalie while we protect Uryu." Rukia explained.

Ichigo didn't respond immediately, after a moment of thought he nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

"Glad you agree, because I'm here."

Ichigo stiffened, despite recognizing Yoruichi's voice. Not for the first time, he thought on how poorly his ability to sense spiritual energy was; he really needed to work on it.

"Oh, hello Yoruichi," Orihime said, smiling.

Yoruichi, having come in her human form, winked, before looking to the door of Rosalie's hospital room.

"Her spiritual pressure is fluctuating," the ex-Soul Reaper muttered, golden eyes half closed. "Not dangerously, but all the same . . ."

"I know what you mean," Rukia said. "Have you altered the memory of the staff?"

"All taken care of," Yoruichi waved her hand carelessly. "I just finished adjusting the memory of the doctor."

She opened the door and stepped inside without a care. A few moments later, two nurses – one male, one female, - wandered out, eyes glazed over.

"That should be the last of them," Yoruichi said, walking out of the room. In her arms, Rosalie slept. The girl was dressed in a pair of hospital pajamas like Uryu with her hair untied. Rosalie's pale face was flushed red, and her breathing noticeably hard.

Hiko looked down at his Tamer from Yoruichi's shoulder.

"Oh," Orihime put a hand to her mouth. Rosalie looked so small and tiny, like a delicate piece of china that one wrong move could break.

"I'll get going," Yoruichi said, the usual mirth in her eyes gone.

"When she gets a fallout like this, a crate of double chocolate chip ice cream usually makes her feel better," Ichigo said suddenly. "Rosalie will probably be a bit moody when she wakes up, not that I blame her, so I suggest you don't wait too long to give her some."

"Noted," Yoruichi said, smiling. "We'll call you if there's any change."

Then she was gone.

 **xxx**

Rosalie didn't feel as bad as she thought she would when she woke up, and she quickly sensed the reason why – Tessai and Urahara. The former was sitting at the right of her futon, while the latter was on the left. The young Tamer could sense the lingering energy of healing kido in the air too.

"And how are you feeling today sleepyhead?" Urahara asked cheerfully, the "flap" "flap" of his fan a steady rhythm. That alone told Rosalie that the state of things was okay, for now.

"Not as bad as I usually would have," she sighed. Hiko, fast asleep on her stomach, rolled onto his back without waking up. A small smile broke across the Tamer's face.

"You gave us quite the scare," Urahara continued. "Thankfully the Shushi was only indirectly responsible for your collapse, as it should be, instead of directly causing your fallout."

". . . And that is a good thing, how?" Rosalie asked tiredly.

"The Shushi is stable, and Gin's meddling doesn't seem to have had any lasting fatal effects. Your body is recovering faster than we thought it would, but the stress of recent days is delaying your mental recovery."

"You mean I got sick because my stress levels were sky high?"

"Pretty much," Urahara chirped.

"You're just a bundle of joy, aren't you?" Rosalie grumbled. "How is Uryu?"

"Fine, fine," the eccentric shopkeeper assured his goddaughter. "Ichigo and the others are guarding him at the hospital. Yoruichi brought you here, for obvious reasons. Can you sit up on your own?"

Rosalie frowned to herself and tried to move. It was exhausting, and she had to pause, but the teen did eventually sit up under her own strength. The movement woke up Hiko who looked up at her flushed face with wide eyes.

"Drink this." Tessai said to Rosalie's right. She took the offered glass and sipped the contains, immediately recognizing it to be water, with ice chips floating in the liquid; just the way Rosalie liked it.

"You should go back to sleep," Tessai said, in his deep rumbling voice. "You'll recover faster that way."

Rosalie frowned.

"I've been sleeping for a couple of hours already, Tessai. I don't want to sleep more."

"If you do we'll make sure you have a crate of double chocolate chip ice cream waiting for you when you wake up!" Urahara coached.

There was a pause.

"Ichigo told you about that, didn't he?"

Chocolate was one of Rosalie's biggest weaknesses, especially if it came in ice cream or cake. She could taste the chocolatey goodness at the tip of her tongue that very moment . . .

"You bet he did!" Urahara said. "I have a couple of crates in the freezer, now be a good girl and do what your godfather tells you! The reward will be delicious!"

Rosalie bit her lip.

"Fine."

She crawled back into the covers, Hiko nestling into her cupped hands, and was asleep minutes after her head touched the pillow.

"Good job slipping the medicine into the water, Tessai." Urahara said, closing his fan. "We need her to sleep a while longer before she can start walking about."

"I'm just thankful you were able to make it tasteless. Still, the fact that Rosalie didn't notice shows just how tired she is." Tessai muttered, standing up. "I will start to prepare dinner. Something simple, I think."

"That would be for the best," Urahara agreed.

When Tessai left, the ex-Soul Reaper stared at his goddaughter's still, sleeping, form, and smiled to himself.

"If it was anyone else, I would be worried; but I have absolute faith in you Rosalie. You'll probably recover faster than I predicted."

Rosalie didn't react to his words, still sleeping soundly. Urahara stood up and looked towards the ceiling, an expression that could only be described as pondering on his face.

 _'I wonder what our dear Captain Hitsugaya is feeling right now? I need to speak with him as soon as an opportunity presents itself. There's no telling how Rosalie's pain could be affecting him.'_ The shopkeeper yawned as he walked toward the sliding door. _'Still, I'm probably worrying too much. No doubt his zanpakuto is doing damage control.'_

 **xxx**

Again. It had happened again.

Hitsugaya groaned, burying his face in his hands inside the privacy of his office. He hadn't been feeling right all day – and it was not a physical aliment, Squad Four had confirmed it for him.

No, it was all in his head – or more accurately his spirit. Hitsugaya wasn't in any actual pain, but he felt restless and uneasy, with the distinct feeling that he was on the verge of becoming ill even though he knew he was perfectly healthy.

Hyorinmaru was restless as well, though in a much subtler way. Hitsugaya had the distinct, and annoying, feeling that the ancient dragon was keeping an eye on his wielder, wanting to say something.

The zanpakuto's uncharacteristic activity only confirmed his fears – this had something to do with Rosalie Crest, his –

Hitsugaya stopped the thought right there, ignoring the sigh from Hyorinmaru. The prodigy was not ready to admit the connection to himself, or anyone else.

He wanted to pretend that everything was normal – or at least as normal as it could be given the actions of that smug, know-it-all, murderous, traitor . . .

As usual since the betrayal, Hitsugaya's blood boiled at the thought of Aizen. Momo Hinamori, his childhood friend, still hadn't awoken from her coma and the boy was starting to worry. It was bad enough that sooner or later, he was going to have to tell Granny about Momo's condition if she didn't awaken soon.

How was he going to tell Granny? Hitsugaya knew better than to think that his grandmother was of weak disposition – but still, to give her such news . . .

 _ **"Do not fret, Master. I am certain Hinamori will awaken in due time,"** _ Hyorinmaru's deep voice rumbled from the recedes of Hitsugaya's mind. _**"Dwelling on a situation you are unable to change will not help you or her."**_

Hitsugaya allowed himself to relax a little at the spirit's words, knowing he was right, only to tense when the ice dragon continued.

 ** _"This also holds true for the girl."_**

' _Her name is Rosalie.'_ Hitsugaya corrected without thinking, and flushed when he realized what he had just said.

 _ **"Yes, Rosalie,"** _ Hyorinmaru didn't miss a beat, and his serene tone remained the same, but Hitsugaya suspected that the dragon was pleased with his automatic defense of the redhead. " _ **You may only be acquaintances now, but soon enough that will change, even if it takes several years."**_ When Hitsugaya tried to interject, Hyorinmaru continued. _**"I am not saying to fall in love with her the moment you reunite, Master. Not only is it unreasonable, it is impossible by both of your natures. It will eventually happen, but only at the pace you and she allow it to progress."**_

 _'I don't want this, Hyorinmaru. Can't you stop the . . . process?'_

 _ **"Even if I could, I would not. Breaking the soul link between you and her would have catastrophic consequences, more so for Rosalie and possibly the World of the Living. There is the burden she carries sealed into her body to also be consider. It would not be wise to do anything that could upset the balance between its spiritual energy and Rosalie's. The mere presence of its energy within the girl . . . her body is delicate in ways that most beings would not understand."**_

Hitsugaya's mouth was a thin, grim, line. The Shushi only added more complications to the situation. He didn't just have to deal with a relationship he didn't want with a girl who was the niece of a man he hated - not that Hitsugaya held it against her – but she was also the vessel for an ancient artifact. An artifact that, if mishandled for disturbed, could mutate the World of the Living into a hellish nightmare and destroy the Balance of Souls.

A hellish nightmare and apocalypse that Hitsugaya could now accidently set off if he fell in battle or hurt Rosalie in some way. He wasn't sure how much he would need to watch his words and actions around her – and that scared the young Captain. It truly did.

Forget not being ready for a romantic relationship and even not wanting a girl in his life like that; it paled in comparison to how one blunder could potentially set off a chain reaction which would destroy everything.

Hyorinmaru stayed silent while Hitsugaya thought about all the things that could go wrong, before speaking.

 _ **"Very early into my existence, many millennia ago, I . . . we . . . encountered this bond before. To say that I was shocked was an understatement, I never dreamed that I would find, the One, so early. There are many souls older than even I who have never met their match, not once. Now this bond has presented itself to us once more, an opportunity very, very few are fortunate to have. Trust in me, Master. I know what I am accepting for you, for us. Rosalie will make you a better person, and you will make her a better person in turn. Yes, there are risks that were not present the first time, but it makes this chance no less precious. In fact, those risks make it all the more important for you to accept the bond. Take this one day at a time, Master, and worry naught for the future for it is your actions in the present that matters most now, and will be what shapes the future."**_

Hitsugaya, shocked that Hyorinmaru was being so straightforward, couldn't help but have the feeling that the Ice Dragon had said something like this to him before.

The Captain sighed.

 _'I will . . . consider your words.'_

Hyorinmaru was satisfied, and Hitsugaya felt his zanpakuto spirit fade away.

The young captain stood up from his desk, and made his way to the sliding door. He needed to take a walk, and it was time to drag Rangiku back so she could finally do her share of the paperwork.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed it! Read and Review!**

 **Best,**

 _ **Snowlily246**_


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